Amusement apparatus.



No. 834,389. A

EPA. LYNDE.

AMUSEMENT APPARATUS.

APPLICATION I'ILED FEB. 10, 1906.

PATENTED OCT. 30, 1906. i

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APPLIOATIOR FILED I'EB.10. 1906.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ERNEST A. LYNDE, OF NEW YORK; N. Y.

AMUSEMENT APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.-

Application filed February 10, 1905. ,Serial No- 246.079

such a full, clear, and exact description as will enable any one skilledin the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of thisspecification.

My invention relates to so-called amusement apparatus which is designedfor persons to participate in the use of for the purposes of amusingthemselves and perhaps onlookers or for the purpose of exercise. Mypresent invention is what I term I a spinning wheel or platform, and itconsists in a peculiar and novel form of apparatus, together with thevarious details thereof, all as hereinafter fully described and thenpointed out in the claims.

I have illustrated types of my invention in the accompanying drawings,Wherein Figure 1 is a central vertical section of the apparatus shown asmounted in a pavilion, to which is connected awaiting-platform forpassengers; Fig. 2 is a plan view with the top of the pavilion removed.Fig. 3 is a side view of a somewhat modified form of the apparatus. Fig.4 is a side view of another modification of the apparatus. Fig. 5 is anenlarged plan view showing in detail the looking device for holding theplatform against rotation. Fig. 6 is an enlarged view, in verticalsection, of the brake for bringing the platform slowly to rest. Y

Referring to the drawings, in which like numbers of reference designatelike parts throughout, 1 is a revoluble shaft or axle, which is'mountedslightly out of vertical'position, so as to be inclined to thehorizontal plane, the footof the shaft being rounded and mounted in arounded socket or cavity 2, formed in a suitable block of metal or othermaterial 3, which is fixed in position in solid material 4, such asconcrete or masonry. The upper end of the shaft or axle 1 is providedwith a bearing 5, mounted in .fixed position in the upper part of thesurrounding structure or pavilion 6, and is of course located to oneside of a vertical line containing the center of the bearing 2 for thefoot of the shaft.

To the lower part of the shaft 1 are secured a set of trusses or frames7, having their upper portions provided with suitable beams 8, which liein a plane at right angles to the shaft 1, and upon these beams 8 issecured a circular platform 9, which is made of suitable material, suchas wood, the upper surface of which may be made smooth or'rough, as thecase may be. This platform 9 and its supports 7 8 move in fixed relationwith the shaft 1, and the upper surface of the plat- Patented Oct. 30,1906.

form 9, upon which persons are to stand or walk, is. always inclined tothe horizontal plane, so that looking at the revoluble plat form fromone side one side thereof is always at a point much higher than theother,

the idea being that as soonas a weight, such as that of a person, restsupon what may be called a high point of the platform, the high point onwhich the weight is thus imposed will seek or gravitate to the lowermostpoint, thereby causing the platform to re-' volve, and if this weightremains in the same position it would be carried past the low point upto the other side, thence back again, thereby causing the platform tooscillate on its axis of motion. From this description it will beunderstood that where a number of persons enter upon the revolubleplatform at the low point and move upwardly toward either side of theaxis of rotation or the shaft 1 the platform will at once begin torevolve, and it may be made to continue to revolve in the same directionby the persons or the greater number of them walking up one side of theplatform, so that their superimposed weight and the force exercised onthe platform by the walking of the persons thereon may. continue torotate the platform, which will rotate in adirection opposite to that inwhich the persons walk.

In order to hold the platform at rest unt l the persons using it disposethemselves upon the platform wherever they choose or may be directed, Iprovide a lockmg device comprising a sliding bolt or bar 10, provided onenter in order to lock the platform against ro.

tation. 5 Around the platform 9 I lace a fixed guard or rail 15, made ofsuitab e flexible macular to conform to the circular shape of the thelow point of the inclined platform 9, is a terial, such as netting, andhaving the upper and lower parts upon the interior thereof provided withsoft padding 16 for the purpose of preventing a passenger from beingprecipitated off the platform as well as preventing a passenger frombeing injured by coming 'nr contact with the fixed rail while theplatform is moving. The rail 15 is mounted on the fixed frame orstructure surrounding the platform 9. This rail or guard 15 is placedaround and slightly above the platform, so as to have as little s ace aspractical between the platform itself and the rail or guard, and,furthermore, this rail or guard is set in vertical position in order tobetter perform its functions and to give fuller and freer use of therevolving platform.

A suitable structure or pavilion 7 is provided for the revolubleplatform 9 and its shaft or axle 1, the structure being madecirplatform. To one side of the structure, at

waiting stand or platform 17, having at one side a ticket-office 18with. an entrance 19, and from this waiting-platform 17 leads a gate 20,through which persons may pass from the waiting-place onto the revolubleplatform. Adjacent to the entrance-gate 20 there is an exit-gate 21,located also in the guard or rail 15, from which gate leads the steps22.

In order to bring the revoluble platform 9 slowly to rest for thepurpose of admitting passengers thereto or discharging them thererom, Iprovide a brake comprising a shoe 23,

carried by an arm 24, which is pivoted to a lever 25, turning on the pin26, a link 27 being pivoted to the other end of the lever and such inkbeing connected with a hand-lever 23, pivoted at 29 and moving across anordinary toothed segment 30 for the purpose of holding the brakehand-lever in the different positions. The brake-shoe is applied to theperiphery 31 of the platform 9 by forcing the brake-shoe against it, aswill be understood from Fig. 6. Instead of a fixed brake-shoe, asindicated in the drawings, an ordinary friction-roller may be employedto bring the platform more gradually to rest. I11 the center of theplatform 9 and disposed around the shaft 1 is arranged a fixed seat 32,upon which persons may seat themselves if they so desire.

In Fig. 3 I show the bearing for the up er end of the shaft 1 asconsisting in an annu ar bearing 33, so that the shaft may gyrate on itsfoot in the socket 2 and have a range of movement, as indicated in Fig.3, between the full-line position and the dotted-line po sition, therebycausing the platform to have a wabbling movement, which when combinedwith the rotary movement of the platform will give a very peculiarmotion. to the platgers, as well as the amusement derived therefrom.

In Fig. 4 I show the top-like structure of the platform 9 and its fixedaxle 1 as mounted on a float 34, which may be placed in the water, thelevel of which is indicated by the wavy line 35, the head of the axle 1being mounted in a suitable annular bearing 33, fixed in asuperstructure 36. This application of the top-like revoluble structuremay be used at seashore or other resorts where it can be floated in thewater and utilized by bathers to dive from, as well as to use for thepurpose of physical exercise. If preferred, inv the floating structurethe part of the axle above the face of the platform may be entirelyomitted, so that the platform will be wholly unobstructed, and in suchcase the superstructure 36 may be omitted. This floating structure maybe so constructed and weighted as to float with either the entirerevoluble structure above the water-level or with it partly submerged,so as to bring the low point of the inclined platform at about the levelof the water, and this will make a very neat appearing apparatus.

There is a locking device such as described. and shown in Fig. 5connected with each of the two gates 20 and 21, the stud 13 being fixedto the heel of the gate so as to be rotated by the gate as it is swungover a quadrant, and these parts are so related and adjusted that wheneither gate is closed its lock is out of engagement or open, and ifeither gate be open its lock is closed, so as to hold the platform atrest. It will thus be seen that should either or both of the gates beopen the platform will be held at rest and cannot be rotated by personsstanding or walking thereon, and should both of the gates be closed atthe same time the platform would be free to move under the weight of thepersons thereon. Above the revoluble platform are arranged a series ofdepending handles or straps 37, which may be seized by persons upon theplatform, so as to maintain themselves in an upright position while theymove their feet in a walking or running motion, thereby turning theplatform and gaining considerable exercise and amusement in this manner.

In operating the apparatus the attendant first looks the revolubleplatform 9 against movement, and then several persons are admittedthrough the entrance-gate 20, which is then closed, the exit-gate 21being also closed. The persons thus admitted to the platform may bedirected to walk up to one side thereof and stand at a certain highpoint leased, so as to cause the weight of the persons on the platformto revolve it, and as the persons shift their positions, which they arefree to do some going to one side of the shaft form and increase thesensation of. the passenand some to another at a high point on thethereon, whereupon the locking device is replatform, this may eithercause the continued rotation of the platform or check it and reverse thedirection of rotation, depending, of course, on the way the personsdispose themselves. It will thus be seen that with the platformoperating in this manner something of a competitive effort may be madeon the part of one group of persons as against another in trying'tocontrol the direction of rotation of the platform, and such a friendlycontest would result in considerable amusement to theparticipantsthemselves as well as to persons looking on.

The apparatus may be used for a great variety of purposes and amusementsaswell as a means of exercise by athletes, and the broad idea of therevoluble latform arranged as described may be utilized in manydifferent ways.

I wish to be understood as not limiting my invention to the specificconstructions of the various different parts herein described, as it isevident that the same may be variously modified without, however,departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is

1. An amusement apparatus comprising a revoluble platform having itsupper surface inclined to the horizontal and adapted for persons tostand upon or move freely thereover, said platform being suitablymounted to readily turn in either direction about its axis of motion andbeing disconnected and idle and being turned on its axis in onedirection or the other by the superimposed weight ofa person or personsat a high point thereof.

2. An amusement apparatus comprising a revoluble platform having itsupper surface inclined to the horizontal and adapted for persons tostand upon or move freely thereover, said platform being suitablymounted to readily turnin either direction about its axis of motionandbeing disconnected and idle and being turned on its axis in onedirection or the other by the superimposed weight of a person or personsat a high point thereof and adapted to rock or wabble in its turningmovement r 3. An amusement apparatus comprising a revoluble platformhaving its upper surface inclined to the horizontal and adapted forpersons to stand upon or move freely thereover, said platform beingsuitably mounted to readily turn in either direction about its axis ofmotion and being disconnected and idle and being turned on its axis inone direction or the other by the superimposed weight of a person orpersons at a high point thereof, and a vertically-disposed stationaryguard placed around said inclined platform and independent thereof.

4. An amusement apparatus comprising a revoluble shaft mounted ininclined position and provided with suitable bearings, a platformsecured to said shaft with its upper surface practically at right anglesthereto and adapted for persons to stand upon or move freely thereover,said shaft and platform being idle or disconnected and being turned'inone direction or the other by the superimposed weight of a person orpersons at a high point on the platform.

5. An amusement apparatus comprising a revoluble shaft mounted ininclined position and provided with suitable bearings, and havingconsiderable lateral play in its bearings at one end of the said shaft,and a platform secured to said shaft with its upper surface practicallyat right angles thereto and adapted for persons to stand upon or movefreely thereover, said shaft and platform being idle or disconnected andbeing turned in one direction or the other by the superimposed weight ofa person or persons at a high point on the platform.

6'. An amusement apparatus comprising a revoluble platform having itsupper surface inclined to the horizontal and adapted for persons tostand upon or move freely thereover, said platform being suitablymounted to readily turn in either direction about its axis of motion andbeing disconnected and idle and being turned on its axis in onedirection or the other by the superimposed weight of a person or personsat a high point thereof, and a lock for holding said platform againstrotation at will.

7. An amusement apparatus comprising a revoluble platform having itsupper surface inclined to the horizontal, and adapted for persons tostand upon or move freely thereover, said platform being suitablymounted to readily turn in either direction about its axis of motion andbeing disconnected and idle and being turned on its axis in onedirection or the other by the superimposed weight of a person or personsat a high point thereof, and a float upon which said revoluble platformis mounted.

8. An amusement apparatus comprising a revoluble platform havingits'upper surface inclined to the horizontal and adapted for persons tostand upon or move freely thereover, said platform being suitablymounted to readily turn in either direction about its axis of motion andbeing disconnected and idle and being turned on its axis in onedirection or the other by the superimposed weight of a person or personsat a high point thereof, and overhead depending handles or straps for aperson or persons on said platform to take hold of in moving their feetupon said platform.

9. An amusement apparatus comprising a revoluble platform, a guard orrail'surrounding said platform, one or more gates located in said guardor rail, a releasable locking deeach gate and its respective lockingdevice operated thereby, each of said gates acting to close said lockwhen the gate is open'and to release said look when the gate is closed.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of thetwo subscribing witnesses.

ERNEST A. LYNDE.

Witnesses:

WILLIS FOWLER, 1 WILLIAM H. STEIN.

